


Sweethearts Day Compendium 2021

by PizzaNSunshine



Category: Elena of Avalor
Genre: Cuddling, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Shippy, childhood AU, eleteo, gabaomi, matena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29487267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaNSunshine/pseuds/PizzaNSunshine
Summary: A collection of EoA mini fics from the Discord Ship Appreciation Week 2021. Multiple ships featured.
Relationships: Gabriel "Gabe" Núñez/Naomi Turner, Mateo de Alva/Elena Castillo Flores
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Day 1: First Kiss [Gabaomi]

The crackling of stones crumbling was a dull roar in her ears as the ruined Maruvian column came tumbling down, the Avaloran Guard General disappearing in the ensuing cloud of dust.

"Gabe!"

Naomi howled with rage, immediately firing her crossbow and hitting the unsuspecting masked bandit in the shoulder with a magic infused arrow, instantly freezing him in place.

She was in such a panic that she couldn't even bring herself to smirk over her victory.

No. No—No! This was not how it was supposed to go! It was just supposed to be a routine correspondence mission—Naomi had only accompanied Gabe under the guise of needing to personally deliver correspondence to the chancellor of Cordoba. No one could have expected the bandit attack—bandits hadn't been reported in Avalor for months!

Whimpering, Naomi dashed to the pile of rubble, pulse racing and stomach tied up in knots. She didn't want to imagine what sort of shape Gabe would be in when she found him—assuming she could even shift the crumbled stones on her own. She was not all that strong and she had no magic—aside from the handful of magical arrows Mateo had given her, but those were all infused with spells that would help with pounding an enemy into the dust. Not lifting a literal ton of bricks off of a fallen ally.

"Gabe? Gabe! Can you hear me?" She prodded the stones, grasping at any and every crevice she could reach, finally finding one that shifted when she pulled it.

She heard a groan and froze, her eyes darting around—that didn't sound as muffled as she expected. Creeping around the pile of rubble, she gasped, eyes going wide at the sight of Gabe struggling to sit up, his hand massaging his forehead.

"Gabe!" She hurried around the ruined pile of stone and fell to her knees beside him, casting aside her crossbow as her hands reached out the grasp his face, cradling his jaw gently as she looked him over for any other injury. "Are you—are you ok?"

"Ugh," he groaned once more. "Yeah. I think so—other than a splitting headache."

"Seas below, Gabriel Nuñez," she chastised him with a piercing, blue eyed glare. "Don't you dare scare me like that again! I thought you were dead!"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Next time, I'll remember to tell the bandits to please hold off their attack for your sake."

Naomi was furious and relieved and—emotional. It was ridiculous. They had fought side by side for years now, coming close to death and injury many times, but they also had each other's backs. Always. And now—now that they had become something more than friends and comrades in arms, Naomi felt so much more protective of this man. And seeing him hurt in any capacity made her feel vulnerable in a way she wasn't used to.

Her emotions swung from one end of the pendulum to the other as she saw that he was truly ok and, for the most part, uninjured. Still cradled in her hands, his face was as handsome as ever and she brushed her thumbs over his cheekbones.

Her eyes lined with silver as she sniffled, blinking back tears. Gabe looked at her, his head cocking to one side as he raised a teasing eyebrow. His lips parted, presumably to shoot some witty remark about her sobbing over his lifeless form, but before he could utter a sound, she hissed, "Ugh. Just shut up, Gabe!" As she leaned in and kissed him.

It was an incredibly impulsive thing to do and surprised her as much as it surprised him. Her eyes went wide for a second before she relaxed and melted into him as he kissed her back. Their lips moved softly together, molding perfectly against one another in perfect sync.

A moment later that felt like an eternity, their lips slowed and Naomi pulled back, biting her lip in an uncharacteristically shy manner that had become oddly normal in recent days whenever she was around him.

Gabe stared back, his eyes wide. He blinked before whispering in a throaty tone, "Wow. Perhaps I should let myself get clobbered by highway robbers more often, if this is how you are going to react."

"Oh hush," Naomi glared, though her heart wasn't in it. She was too busy trying not to burst with warmth. "We've been dating for months, honestly I can't believe we hadn't done this sooner. What's wrong with us?"

Gabe grinned, shrugging as he reached for her, pulling her close. "I don't know, but maybe we should do it again, you know. Just to make sure we weren't imagining how great it was."

Chuckling against his lips, Naomi smiled. "That's the best idea you've had all day."


	2. Day 2: Warming Up [Eleteo]

The setting sun glimmered over the calm waters of Avalor Bay like a thousand shimmering diamonds. It didn't matter how many times she watched the sunset, Elena always found them to be breathtaking. Particularly in her beloved kingdom where cloud cover was the exception and not the rule.

The queen of Avalor would be the first to admit that she preferred sunsets to sunrises, in spite of the latter's relation to new beginnings. The truth was that she hated being awake early enough in the morning that watching such a thing would even be possible.

No, she much preferred the sunset, particularly when she was in such good company.

Stepping closer to her royal wizard, Elena smiled as she interlaced her fingers with his, their shoulders brushing up against one another.

"Isn't it beautiful, Mateo?" she sighed, ger gaze soft in the quickly fading daylight as they walked side by side along the docks down in the city.

Giving her fingers a squeeze, Mateo smirked as he bumped his arm against hers. "I suppose, but really, it's nothing compared to the view I've got right now. If I'm being honest."

Glancing around, Elena paused, blushing as she noticed his hazel green gaze locked on her. "Pfft," she scoffed, looking away and toying with a loose strand of hair to cover up her sudden shyness. "You are so cheesy, you know that?"

"Like you are one to talk, oh my Queen of Puns," he shot back, his grin growing even wider by the minute. "Besides, admit it. That's one of the things you love about me."

She looked at him a long moment before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Guilty as charged." She leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "I wouldn't trade your cheese for all the chocolate in Paraiso."

"That's what I like to hear."

Elena smiled, watching as the breeze picked up, blowing a few stray curls across Mateo's forehead. She reached over to gently brush them aside, shivering slightly as the chilly sea breeze caught against her bare arm, sending goose pimples flashing over her skin.

"Are you cold?" The teasing immediately left Mateo's voice as his expression shifted to concern. "Your hands are like ice and I thought I felt you shiver."

"No! Of course I'm fine! Don't worry about me." Elena knew she should bring a wrap with her when she left the palace in the late afternoon. Sure, Avalor was a lovely warm and sunny place, but the breeze by the open sea was alway a bit cool once the sun went down. After twenty plus years living in one place, she should know this.

Mateo eyed her with a speculative gaze, his lips pursed, telling her that he clearly did not believe her. "I don't think you are telling me the truth."

"Really, I'll be fine!" she insisted with a light laugh, folding her arms and rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms.

Rolling his eyes, Mateo pulled out his tamborita from the holster he usually kept on his back. "It wounds me that you are courting a Master Wizard and still refuse to allow me to magically assist you once in awhile. I have the perfect spell and everything, if you'll just—"

It wasn't that Elena didn't want to ask for magical help, it was that she often didn't think about it. Add to that the fact that she felt a bit silly for even forgetting such a simple thing—well, it made her stubborn, ok?

"I have a better idea!" she said quickly, her smile brightening as she lunged towards her royal wizard, slipping herself under his arms and snuggling up to his side as he squawked in surprise, his own arms automatically curving to fit around her as if on instinct.

"Well, this certainly is a technique," Mateo chuckled, putting the tamborita back in its holster. "One of the few that I can admit I prefer over the magical solution."

"See?" She gave him a squeeze. "Magic is great, but sometimes you just need a good, old fashioned sort of solution. Like snuggles. Snuggles for warmth with someone you love never go out of style."

"In the words of your cousin, 'this is true,'" Mateo laughed. "It is my honor to be the one to keep you warm when you forget to dress for the weather."

"Mmm..." she hummed in reply. "Thanks, Mateo. Have I ever told you that you are the best?"

"Maybe once or twice."

"Well, I’ll say it again, you are the best."

The happy couple continued their walk along the docks as the sun dipped below the horizon, ignoring the ever increasing cool of night as they were quite content to simply rest in each other's arms. 


	3. Day 3: Childhood AU [Eleteo]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Childhood AU where Shuriki never takes over and Elena and Mateo are from the same era with Mateo becoming the royal wizard’s apprentice around the age of 8 years old. Kudos to anyone who recognizes the Miss Congeniality references 😆 
> 
> TW: Bullying. It’s very childish bullying and little Princess Elena takes care of it, but if you are sensitive to such topics, please be cautious.

Princess Elena had been playing knights and bandits with her cousin all day in the family orchard. The pair had just agreed to break for a snack at their abuela's chocolate shop. On their way, the sounds of children's shouts had piqued the young princess's attention, momentarily distracting her from her goal of the best Avaloran chocolates in the kingdom. Esteban, however, would not be diverted from his quest and continued on without her.

A group of boys were gathered near the fountain in the old city square, all facing something—or someone?

A voice she would recognize even in her sleep cried out, "Hey! That's my book! Don't! You're—you're going to tear it!" Her little heart skipped a beat and she picked up the pace, hurrying to reach the group of kids and stop whatever was making that voice sound so distressed.

A bigger boy with a buzz haircut threw a book to the ground and stomped on it, shoving the other person, who's face Elena still could not see, though her jaw clenched with anger as she was pretty sure she knew who it was. "What're you gonna doing about it, magic boy? Curse me?"

"N-no! Of course not!" the smaller boy had fallen to the ground. "Just—I—please! Just give it back!"

"Or what?" The bigger boy sneered. "You gonna cry at me?"

Finally, the princess had gotten close enough to see between the onlookers, and what she saw immediately sent her into a rage—however, her diplomatic princess training stopped her from acting too rashly. Yet.

"Is there a problem, Gentleman?" she asked loudly, crossing her arms and standing at her full height—which was admittedly considerably shorter than most of the boys there, but her mother had taught her that confidence and a commanding presence mattered far more than size.

Most of the kids gasped, whirling around to face the newcomer, quickly backing away as they recognized the Avaloran Princess glaring at them with her piercing amber gaze.

She could see the smaller boy sitting on the cobblestone street, chestnut curls askew and his hand rubbing at his elbow as his face scrunched up in away that told her he was trying not to cry. It was her friend, Mateo, the royal wizard's grandson and new apprentice. They'd been friends for a long time, but recently he'd been spending more time at the palace and was allowed to run around in the garden with her during his study breaks. They'd become quite close in recent months and Elena was nothing if not fiercely protective of her friends—especially her best friend.

The bigger boy, a brutish sort that Elena had heard rumors of but didn't actually know, took a menacing step towards her, cracking his knuckles. "Hey jaquin-breath! If you weren't a princess, I'd beat your face off."

Furious, her eyes narrowed as she uncrossed her arms, hands dropping to her sides, clenched into tight little fists. "Oh yeah?" she retorted, taking a step closer and looking up into the bully's big, ugly face. He was half a head taller than her, but she didn't care. "If you weren't a princess, I'd beat your face off!"

Positively puffed up with anger, the boy's ugly little piggy eyes widened with shock and rage and his lips pursed. "Did you just call me a princess!?" he demanded.

Elena stomped her foot and stood her ground. "You called me one!"

"Oh, you asked for it!"

The boy raised his hand, presumably to hit her—but Elena was not afraid. She may spend half of her days in training in proper princess behavior, but the other half of her days were spent running around with Esteban and Victor, who had both taught her a thing or two about dealing with big, stupid brutes like this.

She kicked him in the knee and when he recoiled with pain, she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the stomach, taking the opportunity to land a solid punch to his nose when he doubled over in pain.

"Now get out of here and don't let me catch you bullying my friends ever again!" she shouted to the group at large as they scattered, the bigger boy running off, holding his nose and sobbing.

Elena glared after them all for a moment before turning her attention to Mateo, who was still sitting on the ground staring up at her. Her gaze softened and she knelt down beside him, gently reaching over to smooth a stray curl away from her friend's eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that," Mateo, sniffling as he tried to collect himself. "You're papa is going to be mad."

"He's only going to be mad if he hears about it," Elena shrugged, not worried in the slightest.

"But then you'll get into trouble and it will be all my fault," he insisted, hanging his head in shame. "Just because I'm a big dumb magic freak who can't take care of myself."

"Hey, don't listen to them," she said soothingly, resting a hand on his arm. "They're just jealous."

Mateo snorted. "Jealous? Of what? You heard them. They think I'm a total dork."

"Well, that may be true," Elena giggled, reaching for the discarded book. "But we both know you are my favorite dork. Besides, you are also good looking and smart and funny. And—and girls like that."

"Girls? What girls?" he stared morosely down at the cobblestones, picking at an invisible thread on his pants.

"Well—" she said slowly, her cheeks going pink as she confessed, "I mean, I'm a girl and I like you—"

His hazel green eyes went wide and he stared at her, blinking a moment. "Wait. Really?"

"Well, of course, silly. You're my best friend, remember?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, his mouth curving into a slow smile. "I am, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are!" She assured him with a grin, getting to her feet and holding out both of her hands to help him up. "And don't you forget it, Mateo de Alva!"

"And you're my best friend too, Elena," he said with a nod, his curls bouncing from the motion. "Er—is that ok? Even though your a princess and I'm—well, I'm not?"

"Pfft," she scoffed. "'Course it is. Now, as my best friend, I'm inviting you to join me for a snack at abuela's chocolate shop and I won't take no for an answer." She took him by the hand and tugged him along.

"I can't ever say no to you, Elena—and I think you know that," Mateo laughed, trotting to keep up with the princess.

The unpleasant incident with the boys all but forgotten, the two best friends scampered off, hand in hand as they wove through the busy streets of Avalor City in search of the finest chocolate in all the land.


	4. Day 4: Letters [Gabaomi]

Naomi loved everything about being captain of her own ship—the wind in her hair, the salty scent of seawater tickling her nose, the promise of the unknown in every new port she visited. She'd raced pods of dolphins dancing in the wake of her ship, seen the vast sandy dunes of Napurna with her own two eyes, wandered the endless mazes of spice markets in Cariza as she followed her nose from booth to booth, and had so many other incredible experiences on this grand adventure. Truly, these first few weeks away from home had been amazing.

But she couldn't deny that something was missing—someone—or, rather, several someones. The young ship captain was starting to wonder if doing all of these amazing things was really worth it if she was doing them alone? She desperately missed her friends, whom she'd already had some pretty great adventures with before her sudden departure—Elena and, of course, Mateo. 

Among all of that, there was a newer, yet altogether familiar ache. An ache reminiscent of her trip to Norberg last year—her first Family Day in the land of her birth. Though she'd been surrounded by her loved ones, she couldn't help but long for the presence of another—Gabe. 

It surprised her to realize that she missed him differently than she missed her other best friends, because he, too, was her best friend, but he was also—different—her best friend and something _more_.

She saw him everywhere she went—when she strolled through the street festival in Paraiso, she remembered with a fond smile the way he called her "Fancy Feet" whenever they danced. She missed the way he'd caught onto her childhood nickname, "Nomes" and had exclusively called her by that for quite some time now. She giggled the time her rudder had been damaged by a storm, thankful to be able to patch it up on her own rather than let him drop it into the sea in a poor attempt to show off his strength to anyone who may be watching.

The worst part, however, was the regret. She had left so suddenly—convinced that if she didn't leave with the tide that very day, she would lose her chance forever—that she hadn't said goodbye to anyone aside from Elena. The thought had occurred to her to go and find Gabe—he deserved to hear it from her personally—but the truth was that she had been secretly afraid. Afraid that she would take one look at him and change her mind. Did that make her a bad person? That she'd chosen one heart's desire over another? 

Naomi knew that she would return to Avalor someday. It was her home after all. But she didn't expect Gabe to be waiting for her—surely he had been hurt and angry over her sudden departure when she could be bothered to offer even a single goodbye. 

Naomi mused over these things as she steered the bow of her ship towards the small island kingdom of Selvara in the South Sea. The morning sun was well above the horizon as she glided into the harbor, coming into port and mooring at the quiet dock.

Before hopping off the bow onto the wooden plank walkway, she paused, glancing back to the door leading to the lone cabin beneath deck.

There was a letter on her desk. A letter addressed to Gabe, explaining everything, even going so far as to hint at how her heart felt a bit hollow without him. She'd gone to post it many times, but anxiety had stopped her. Would he even still consider her a friend after the way she had left so suddenly?

Perhaps she should mail the letter today? She grimaced, her forehead crinkling a moment before shaking her head. No. Not today. Perhaps the next port. 

Her first order of business was to find the general store so she could stock up on supplies and then the postmaster. Naomi and her parents exchanged letters regularly with the occasional letters from Elena and Mateo showing up among them. Naomi always sent word back home of her destination plans so she could pick up letters as she traveled. 

Whistling to herself as she strolled through the small port town, it didn't take Naomi long to find the convenient general store and post office combination shop on the main street. The bell over the door chimed merrily to alert anyone in the building that she had arrived. Naomi smiled brightly, bidding the woman a good morning before turning to browse the wares neatly stacked on shelves and piled in barrels lined up along the walls of the quaint shop. 

She picked up a few tins of stew and a canister of cereal to hold her over until her next port call the following week. Stepping up to the counter, she put down a few coins, noting that her purse was getting a bit too light—why didn't adventuring pay more?

"Are there any letters here for a Ms. Naomi Turner?" she asked politely, shoving the nagging worry about her dwindling funds away for the moment.

The woman took her coins with a pleasant smile, "Oh, it's you! You are quite the popular one, aren't you? Just a moment." 

Popular? Naomi stared, perplexed as the woman crouched down behind the counter, muttering "Turner—Turner—I know I saw several just this—ah! Here we go! Ms. Naomi Turner. Here you go, Miss."

Her eyes widened as she received not one, not two, but _three_ letters. She spied the expected note from her parents, grinned as she recognized Elena's elegant script and froze, her breath hitched in her throat as she read the sender's name on the last letter addressed to her from— _Captain Gabriel Nuñez_?!

Naomi shook her head to clear it, suddenly remembering her manners, "Th-thank you, ma'am! Have a nice day!" She gathered her things into her satchel and hurried out of the shop, stopping just outside the door. Her hands shook as she tore open the letter from Gabe and read it, her eyes stinging with tears as a smile slowly curved across her lips.

_Hey Nomes,_

_Elena told me where to send the letter, I hope you don't mind. I just wanted you to know that you don't need to worry, Elena explained everything and I get it, probably better than you know. You had to follow your heart and at that moment it felt like the most important thing in the world. I remember that feeling well. It's exactly how I felt the day the guard announced the first open recruitment drive after Shuriki's defeat all those years ago and I couldn't let anyone stop me. Especially not my own doubts._

_Of course I miss you like crazy—Elena has been losing her mind since you left, but you can rest assured that Mateo has been right there by her side every spare minute to "comfort" her, or so he says. But I think we both know there's more to it than that. Honestly, I'd be surprised if they weren't married by the time you come home. Haha! Ok, just kidding, but seriously, I miss you._

_So go. Live that dream. Just, you know, send me a letter once in awhile, let me know you're ok. I'll be here for you when you're ready to come home._

_Sincerely your friend or—you know what, I really don't know how to close this? Does love always sound weird? Or maybe, how about..._

_Faithfully yours,_

_Gabe_

Tears trickling down her cheeks, Naomi grinned and took off jogging back towards her ship. She needed to hurry. She had a letter to write and she knew now exactly what she wanted to say.


End file.
